Plan Your Next Trip with Google My Maps
Google's MyMaps should be part of your vacation or trip planning toolbox. Take the guesswork out of decision-making when booking activities, placing restaurant reservations, and maneuvering transport around your destination.
In this post, I'll share how to use Google's MyMaps for your vacation planning needs.
So, what exactly is Google MyMaps?
Google MyMaps is a tool for creating and designing your own maps. Its customizable aspect makes it very different from Google Maps.
In MyMaps, you can:
Develop custom maps by pinning target locations or highlighting specific routes.
Add links to an event you RSVP'd for or notes relevant to a route or location. You can even add photos or videos to spice up your itinerary.
Create layers to organize your trip. I categorize my trips' aspects under restaurants, museums, activities, etc, and dedicate each layer to a category.
Share your map to collaborate with others.
Print and download your map to use offline.
How can I use MyMaps for planning a trip?
Once you have a general idea of what you want to do during your trip and where you're staying, it's time to start creating your map.
Head to MyMaps.google.com and click "Create a new map."
Once you're on your new map, an "untitled layer" will be selected. I usually like to label this layer as "home base" or "accommodations," and this is where I put my hotel or Airbnb. Since this tool is based on Google Maps, searching the address or name of your accommodations will bring it right up. Once it pops up, click "Add to map" to add it to your map layer.
When you're ready to add additional layers, click "Add Layer." IMPORTANT: Make sure only the layer you want to update is selected. If you add locations while multiple layers are selected, the stops will be added to each layer! I like to color coordinate each layer, So restaurant drop pins will all be green, museums will all be yellow, and so on. This makes it easy for the next step:
Here's an example of a map I made for a trip to Paris with friends.
How MyMaps optimizes your vacation planning:
Once you have a general sense of where you need to be and where your stops are located in proximity – it's time to lay things out.
Align reservations with destinations and landmarks you want to see
Pick tours or excursions based on other landmarks, etc
Figure out transportation options in advance – super helpful if you're an anxious traveler
For my solo trip to Iceland, I knew I wanted to take a bus tour that would help me see key landmarks without renting a car and driving around the country by myself. I dedicated a map layer to landmarks I wanted to see and other layers to the different stops on several tours I reviewed. This made it easy to decide on a tour and plan which day I would take this trip.
Now that your Vacation MyMap is Complete... What next?
Click share to set the privacy settings for your map and produce a link that you can share with your fellow vacationers — or, if you're going on a solo trip, with your loved ones!
The one inconvenience with MyMaps is that they're not mobile accessible. To get around this, you can download and email your Map to your device.
Have you used Google's MyMaps for vacation planning or other needs? I'd love to learn more about your experiences with the tool!
